University of East Anglia carrying out urgent checks for RAAC
It's as more than 100 schools - including one in Norfolk - are fully or partially closed
Last updated 5th Sep 2023
The University of East Anglia is carrying out urgent checks on its buildings to ensure none are at risk of collapse due to crumbling concrete.
Work is under way to look for ‘reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete’ (RAAC) across the university’s campus.
The lightweight building material was commonly used between the 1950s and 1990s.
While quicker and cheaper to produce than normal concrete, it has a shorter shelf-life. After 30 years, experts say it can crumble and structures collapse.
It comes after more than 100 schools in England and Wales – including Thomas Bullock Primary in Shipdham – announced they were having to partly or fully close, because the material was in their buildings.
A spokeswoman for the university said: “UEA has a large and diverse estate and, in light of the recent concerns around RAAC, we will be undertaking additional checks on our buildings to ensure adequate controls are in place.
“We currently don’t have any plans to close any of our buildings and, as with all routine safety checks on UEA buildings carried out by our estate teams, we will ensure that all buildings that remain open to our staff, students and visitors are safe.”